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The Cay by Theodore Taylor
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The Cay (1969)

by Theodore Taylor

Series: The Cay (1)

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The Cay is the story of a young boy and older black man who wind up shipwrecked on a deserted island after a horrible storm at sea. The main dilemma is that the boy loses his eyesight in the chaos, and has to learn to put his faith in Timothy, the black man who has been marooned with him. The story is of their long struggle to survive on the island with only their surroundings to use. In the end, the boy learns many valuable lessons about life, and Timothy (the black man) gives his life to save the boy.
This book is a realistic work of fiction that could be used for many different purposes. It would be great as a character study book, where students dissect each character and discuss their traits. It would also be a good book to use if the class was studying the earth and habitats or adaptation, as this book allows for much reflection about the power of the Earth and how we must adapt to meet our needs. ( )
  beckytillett | Apr 4, 2013 |
Someone just reminded me of this book...I read it like ten times when I was a kid. Can't promise it's actually as good as I thought it was at the time, but man did I love it back then. ( )
  AlCracka | Apr 2, 2013 |
Phillip is excited when the Germans invade the small island of Curacao. War has always been a game to him and he's eager to witness it first hand however his mother is really frigtened and convinces her husband that she and Phillip should leave Caribbean island and go to live in the USA with her sister. The freighter he and his mother are travelling on to the USA is torpedoed and instantly sinks. While manning the lifeboats Phillip is separated from his mother. While the freighter is sinking the boom hits him hard on teh back of his head, Phillip takes a considerable knock. Philip wakes to find himself adrift on a small raft in the middle of the ocean with an old West Indian man, Timothy. As they drift Phillip suffers from an excruciating head pain and becomes blind and totally dependant on Timothy. Together (along with Stew cat) they become marooned on a tiny deserted island and there begins their struggle to survive. A great story of survival and the developing friendship between a boy and man, a black man and a young white American boy who has been influenced by his mother's prejudices. I liked reading the accent of Timothy and found that this gave the story some sense of reality. However when Timothy died and Phillip was left to fend for himself i was reminded that this was fiction. ( )
  rata | Mar 11, 2013 |
Wonderful story about an 11 year old boy named Phillip Enright whose father is working for Royal Dutch Shell in Curacao. When German submarines start firing at oil tankers off shore, Phillip's mother decides she wants to go home to Virginia. Phillip's father cannot leave as he is part of the war effort, so Phillip and his mother board the freighter Hato and sail for Miami. On the morning of April 6th, 1942 they are torpedoed and Phillip ends up knocked out and in the water. He is saved by an old black man named Timothy from Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas along with the Hato's cat, Stew Cat. After a few days at sea the blow to his head causes Phillip to go blind. Before long Timothy finds a small cay and there they set up camp. This is a story of friendship and survival, beautifully told, well worth reading. ( )
  Eurekas | Feb 20, 2013 |
I read this book when I was in about 5th grade, and to this day I have never forgotten it. This book is so good I had to read it again. "The Cay" is about a young white boy named Philip and an elderly African/Caribbean man maned Timothy , after their boat is destroyed the unlikely pair travel through the ocean and end up on a desert island and take care of one another. They even make it through a hurricane together. This book is amazing and the author teachers the reader about the ocean and the land the two are on as well as the two characters themselves. The crazy twist to this novel is that Philip is blind, he in injured from the boat being destroyed. So Philip has to trust this stranger with not only his life, but his sight as well. This is one of my all time favorite books. This book is about survival, trust, and friendship. ( )
  ccbell | Nov 19, 2012 |
Showing 1-5 of 50 (next | show all)
Mary Purucker (KLIATT Review, July 2005 (Vol. 39, No. 4))
Twelve-year-old Philip's ordeal as a castaway after the ship he was on was torpedoed in 1942 has never lost its appeal as a strong survival tale with two strong characters. When German submarines increase their activity off the coast of Venezuela, Philip's mother insists that the two of them leave the island of Curacao where his father works for an oil refinery, but she refuses to fly and they take passage on a ship. Not many days go by before they are blown out of the water and Philip finds himself on a raft with a gigantic elderly black man and the ship's cat. His mother's prejudices at first make him uncomfortable with Timothy, but he learns to love and respect him. Suffering from a severe blow to his head, in a few days Philip becomes totally blind and totally dependent on Timothy. When they finally land on a small island, a cay, Timothy teaches him the skills to survive even if he is left alone. Michael Boatman narrates in a straightforward way, easily giving Phillip a slight Southern accent and Timothy's voice a West Indian flavor. The pacing and timing are perfect as the pair battle the elements, get to know each other, and prepare for potential rescue. Category: Fiction Audiobooks. KLIATT Codes: J*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior high school students. 2005 (orig. 1969), Listening Library, 3 cds. 3 hrs.; Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes., $30.00. Ages 12 to 15.

added by kthomp25 | editKLIATT Review, Mary Purucker
 
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To Dr. King's dream, which can only come true if the very young know and understand it.
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Like silent, hungry sharks that swim in the darkness of the sea, the German submarines arrived in the middle of the night.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Book description
When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.

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Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 044022912X, Mass Market Paperback)

This award-winning novel remains a powerful classic of prejudice, love, and survival. In 1942, 11-year-old Phillip Enright lives with his parents on the Dutch island of Curaçao, but when the war moves too close for comfort, his mother decides to travel with him back to the safety of Virginia. When their boat is torpedoed, however, Phillip is blinded and finds himself adrift on a life raft with an old black man and a cat. They eventually land on a deserted island. Phillip is suspicious of "the large Negro," but soon grows to trust--and ultimately love--the patient and generous Timothy. Dedicated to "Dr. King's Dream," The Cay has a clear message that friendship is colorblind; it is also a terrific adventure story of a young, newly blinded man learning to survive on an uninhabited island. (Ages 12 and older) --Richard Farr

(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:49:56 -0500)

(see all 10 descriptions)

When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.… (more)

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